Scotland celebrates Hogmanay and traditionally observes the first-footing custom after midnight.
Hogmanay is the Scots name for New Year's Eve and the surrounding celebration. In first-footing, the first person to enter a household after midnight is expected to bring good luck. Traditional gifts can include coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky, representing warmth, food, flavor, or hospitality.
Customs vary by region and family, and modern celebrations may not follow every older rule. A traditional preference in some areas was for the first visitor to be a dark-haired man, while a fair-haired visitor could be considered unlucky because of historical memories of Viking raids. That detail is folkloric rather than a universal modern practice.
Hogmanay also includes singing, visiting friends and relatives, torchlight events, and the song “Auld Lang Syne.” It is related to, but not identical with, Christmas customs; in Scotland, Christmas celebrations were historically less prominent in some periods than New Year festivities.